Top 10 Reasons to Stay at EcoCamp Patagonia

1. Prime LocationEcoCamp is located at the foot of the Torres del Paine and is the only hotel in the park with a view of the spectacular granite peaks. EcoCamp’s unique location allows guests to appreciate the Torres at sunrise as they wake up and again at sunset as they return on foot to the park’s heartland after a day’s trek. No journey time is needed to start trekking, guests step out of their dome and pick up the trail leading to las Torres or along Los Cuernos path lined with Patagonian flora and fauna.2. Pioneer ConceptEcoCamp’s Geodesic Domes were the world’s first Geodesic hotel rooms when they were built in 1999. They soon because a staple design model for dome accommodation emerging in Europe and South America but they retain their unique originality due to their indigenous heritage, being modelled on the ancient Kaweskar tribe’s huts in Patagonia. EcoCamp domes also blend into their surrounding environment making them a uniquely harmonious refuge in the wilderness.3. Lifelong ExperienceEcoCamp’s unique lodging concept means you are guaranteed the experience of a lifetime as you walk through the wilderness to get to your dome and fall asleep looking up at the stars, following an evening spent sampling Chile’s finest cuisine and wine with fellow guests in EcoCamp’s Community domes. EcoCamp’s adventure tour reputation ensures you are in the very best of hands as you hike through the park’s valleys past immense glaciers and snow-capped mountain ridges exploring nature in all its immensity.4. EcoCamp CommunityThe social aspect of EcoCamp is one of its most celebrated attributes. Community domes provide a meeting place for breakfast and again at the end of the day when groups share an evening cocktail and tasty Chilean dinner with wine at communal tables in the dining room. Guests can then move to the bar to share more wine and stories with fellow guests or to the library to chat and plan upcoming excursions or browse through EcoCamp’s shop selling locally-made products.5. Adventure LeadersEcoCamp has won National Geographic awards for its adventure tour leadership in Patagonia. EcoCamp operates two versions of the ‘W’ trek and runs the specially coordinated Paine Circuit covering 115km around the Paine massif. Guests’ luggage is transported on treks leaving them free to walk with just a day pack, chatting with their guide and admiring the view as they cross wild terrain leading between jagged mountains and glacial rivers.6. Specialist GuidesEcoCamp’s guides are knowledgeable, reliable and environmentally-conscious trekkers who enjoy every moment of leading groups through the Patagonian wilderness. The majority are locals who have grown up in the region and studied eco-tourism at university, specialising in areas including geology, ornithology and botany. Guides eat with guests each night and socialise with groups in the library and bar following briefings.7. Sustainable DesignEcoCamp has won sustainability awards and is the first ISO14001 certified hotel in Patagonia. All of EcoCamp’s energy comes from solar panels and a micro-hydro turbine, making it Patagonia’s most eco-friendly hotel. EcoCamp’s green dome design is energy-efficient to maximise passive heat and light energy and dome interiors are designed with renewable materials and are connected by raised walkways to minimise terrain and fauna disruption. Bathrooms have the world’s southern-most composting devices.8. Tour VarietyEcoCamp offers tours to suit everybody! EcoCamp’s Patagonia Wildlife Safari offers both easy and active excursions each day so guests can choose whichever option they are in the mood for, be it climbing to the base of the towers or sailing to Grey glacier. A short and full version of the ‘W’ trek each week means guests can choose the duration of their trek to best suit them, while the Paine Circuit is popular with all trekkers craving the ultimate challenge. Tour extensions operate throughout Argentine Patagonia and can be combined in EcoCamp programs like Patagonia United.9. Dome ChoiceAt EcoCamp there are four different dome types to choose between, depending on your trek. Guests on Safari choose between heated Suite domes or Suite Lofts with private bathrooms and terraces, or the classic Standard domes with shared bathrooms. Guests doing the ‘W’ stay in Standard Domes at EcoCamp or can upgrade to a bigger, heated Superior Dome while guests on the Paine Circuit stay in comfortable tents or can upgrade to Standard or Superior domes while at EcoCamp.10. Locally OwnedEcoCamp was founded in 1999 by Chilean engineers Javier Lopez and Yerko Ivelic and kayak instructor Nani Astorga. Owners of adventure tour company Cascada Expediciones, Javier and Yerko worked to create sustainable accommodation in one of Chile’s most pristine areas of wilderness popular with trekkers from around the world. They tested and installed green technology and recycling and continue to be involved in the maintenance process today. EcoCamp has been locally managed since 2007 by Sebastian Gomez, who heads the team in Puerto Natales.